Sunday, January 20, 2013

Now that we are on our fourth foster baby, second preemie I am remembering all these little products that I love and should have added to my first list. I said that as I remembered them I would add them to that list, but I kept getting so many I decided it was just time for a new list because you probably would not go back and see the old list. However, if you have not seen the first list, click here. These are products that I love because they make being a mom easier, especially if you're already dealing with Fibromyalgia. Yes, I know our parents didn't have them and we turned out fine. But really? Did we? Turn out fine, I mean. I'm just kidding. We're fine! But just because they didn't have access to them doesn't mean that we shouldn't use them to make our lives easier. It doesn't mean that we're totally spoiling our kids. We're spoiling ourselves. We're grown, we can do that.

Boppy Protective Cover

Boppy Protective Cover is a liner that goes underneath your cutesie cover. That way when the little angel pukes all over your pretty one, your can change the outer cover and wash it and not have to worry about the whole pillow being soiled. You do have a stack of cute covers don't you? You need one for the wash and one for the pillow at all times. And remember I recommend two pillows. Or you'll end up carrying this thing all over the house. The protective cover is about $11 at Babies 'R Us and Target.

Swaddlers

Yes, you will learn to swaddle your baby. Some babies hate it. But some babies gotta have it. And it can be challenging at times especially when they are fighting you. But just because they are fighting doesn't mean they don't want it. As soon as they are are tightly bundled, they settle right down. They trick is to be able to do it efficiently and tightly and as quickly as possible in the middle of the night with someone screaming at you. Some people recommend the ones with the long arms that wrap around. Well, my child isn't insane and I don't need a straight jacket. If they insist on having their arms out then I figure they don't want to be swaddled. My favorite brands are Summer Infant, Swaddle Me and Kiddopotamus. These all have the same basic design. The feet go in a pouch at the bottom. It Velcros to the left wing that wraps around the arms. The right wing wraps around and Velcros on top. These wings along with a hole in the back allow the swaddlers to be used in car seats, swings and bouncies, etc that have a five-point harness. Our first foster baby had the jitters from drug withdrawal and had to be swaddled for 4 months all the time.These were a life saver.

Sleep Sacks

Sleep sacks, sleep blankets, sleeping bags. They are all little bags that the babies zip up in to sleep. It reduces the risk of SIDS by replacing blankets which can become entangled around the baby and causing suffocation. They come in many forms from light weight or fleece to short or long sleeve to the one pictured above. It is an Aden + Anais muslin, sleeveless. I love it because it gets very hot here where we live and I can just put the baby in a onesie with this sack.

Tiny Love 3-in-1 Mobile

Love this mobile. It has an arm for the crib, but can also attach with the Velcro to the car seat or the clip to anything like a canopy. We have used it everywhere. Even hanging it on the clothes hook in the van for long trips. It will play classical music for 30 minutes before turning off automatically. It will also spin without music if you choose to not want to listen to it. For when the baby needs to watch it while laying awake for umpteen hours on end while you try to get some sleep. This mobile also comes in pink. And it's affordable for most friends to buy off your registry!

BooginHead PaciGrip

Most babies will come home from the hospital with a Soothie brand pacifier. If they are already attached to this pacifier it is hard to get them to change to a different one. And the only way to attach a pacifier to that particular pacifier is through that tiny little hole. Note: this is not the Soothie pacifier in this picture. But the BooginHead PaciGrip has the little chord on the end that will thread through that little hole. It's one of the few mass marketed ones that I've found that do this. And I love the metal clip on the end because they really hold on well. You can buy them online or at Babies 'R Us. At the stores they are in a very generic looking package that just says "Paci Grip". It does not say BooginHead. They are only $4.99 and come in lots of cute patterns. Using a pacifier clip keeps the paci cleaner and keeps you from breaking your back because you're bending over picking it up all day. I keep one clipped in the car seat and the swing. Once the child is old enough to go out like to the church nursery and be handed around from person to person, if they are still using a paci, I clip it to them.

iHome iH15 Color Changing 30-Pin iPod Speaker Dock

This speaker dock has replaced our baby's radio, sound machine and nightlight. You can dock an ipod, touch, phone, shuffle, ianything that will fit and it will charge it. I generally play a white noise app with the rain sound or Pandora. The cube light can be on or off. The light has different settings. It can slowly change colors or quickly change. It can fade or be set to stay on one color. When you turn the power on, it automatically turns the iwhatever back on and directly into the app you where playing so no need to fidget everytime you're putting the baby down. You can find it on amazon.com. I bought mine at Walmart, but I don't know if they still sell it. It's between $50-75, but worth every penny.

Garanimals - Shampoo Rinse Cup

When bathing an infant you want to work as fast as possible because they get cold quickly. You can keep a warm wet washcloth over their body to help keep them warm. But I find that using this rinse cup allows me to wash and rinse so fast that the wash cloth isn't even needed. This cup is designed for older kids. It has a silicone edge so that you can lay it against their head creating a seal so the water doesn't run over their face when rinsing the shampoo out of their eyes. But I just leave it under the running water while I shampoo the baby's body and with one or two fills you can have the baby completely rinsed off and out of the tub. The handle just makes it more convenient than a cup from the kitchen. And you know I like convenience. It's available at Walmart and is about $5. You can get a similar cup made by Sassy that is all silicone. It is a little smaller and doesn't hold as much water. It doesn't stand up as well by itself under the faucet until it has some water in it. So that means that for a few seconds I have to hold onto it when I could be shampooing. And when bathing a screaming baby, every second counts. You want them in and out as fast as you can. That's why I recommend this one.

Diaper Rash Cream

My favorite diaper rash cream is Baby Anti Monkey Butt. I think what works so well is the calendula and the calamine. My second favorite is Burt's bees which also has the calendula. My third favorite is Dr. Smith's. The trick to diaper cream is to put it on so thick that you cannot see through it. And when you're changing the diaper, if it's still on there don't wipe it off unless there is poo in it. Only add more if there is a spot that needs it. You don't have to put cream on a healthy booty unless they are going to be in their diaper for a long time and possibly wet for a long time such as overnight. Doctors do not recommend power because it can be harmful for their respiratory function. However, our doctor did say that if we "preloaded" the diapers in another room and gently put them on it would be OK. I have found that in some cases the only thing that seems to work is the powder. In which, I recommend that Baby Anti Monkey Butt Powder. I have found it at some Walmarts, Babies 'R Us, and H-E-B.

Pandora

This is an app that I use on my iPod and iPad for music. I'm sure you know what it is. What I want to share is the stations I use. "Rock A Bye Baby" is the rock music that I grew up with arranged into lyric-less nursery songs. Have you heard the sayings "the devil's music" and "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll?" Well, this takes the the devil out of the music and makes it safe for baby. My husband was changing a baby one day and said, "Is this 'Sweet Child of Mine'?" The other station that I love is "Praise Baby" It's encouraging, uplifting music for baby's soul and spirit teaching them to praise God from an early age.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

I have started to walk. As in around the neighborhood. I haven't been able to do this in awhile. The Fibro was a factor and honestly my weight was a factor as well. I've lost enough weight and my Fibro is doing fairly well considering it's winter. Bradley is my walking partner. He is my three year old chocolate lab. Yes. That's the answer to the question that I know popped into your head. Yes, he pulls on the leash. Like he's a husky and I'm a sled. That's why I don't walk both our labs at the same time. I would have road rash from my chin to my toes. So I bought the Gentle Leader by Premier. You've probably seen it. It's a little harness that goes over their nose. The leash attaches to the bottom of it instead of to their collar. The idea is that it works like a bridle on a horse. If they pull, then the leash pulls their head down. Typical stubborn lab on a mission, when Bradley's head gets pulled down, he keeps on with the mission. They are work dogs and evidently the goal of a "walk" is to get back to the house as quickly as possible. It does work because he doesn't pull as bad. But he does pull it taut. Of course, with a dog as big as him we have had one occasion when I thought I would not be able to control him when a cat was underneath a car and he really wanted to chase it. I used to walk them with a traditional harness where I could have much more control in stopping them by planting my feet firmly in the ground. As well behaved as they are, they do have their moments.When I first started walking I was getting shin splints from pounding the ground when he was pulling me. That was before the Gentle Leader. Then I started getting blisters. But I bought new socks, laced my shoes to the highest hole and put Vaseline on the blisters before walking. I don't walk very long or fast. But I can tell that it does help both me and Bradley.

About This Blog

I have Fibromyalgia. Do you know what that is? Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. It is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. At least that's what the experts say. But Fibro is different for everyone. I know we are all hurting and every day is hard. What I want is a place to ask questions, get opinions and answers. If you need to described your symptoms or struggles in order to ask questions or to share your solutions, that's great. But let's not just post about how miserable we are. I want to be part of a group that shares this together, but with a positive outlook. Let's learn how to live with this, survive it, be cured from it. I only get one life and I will not let Fibromyalgia take the joy from my living it.

***WARNING:***

content is personal and, as Fibromyalgia is a medical condition, may be graphic in nature.

ABOUT ME

I am 36 years old and live in Texas with my husband, currently two foster babies and two dogs. After two years of refusing to let my doctor diagnose me with Fibromyalgia I was finally and officially diagnosed in the fall of 2008. Looking back I believe I have probably had Fibro since about 2001. Although everyone's case is different I always felt that mine was exceptionally so. After sharing this blog and interacting with others on Facebook I have found that is not the case. I have the pain normally associated with FM however not to the debilitating levels that many of you suffer. I suffer mostly from an extreme sensitivity to external stimuli, i.e. sounds, smells, light, movement, changes in temperature resulting in severe nausea, vertigo and migraines. Before my diagnosis people would often ask me if I was pregnant and my reply would be, "if so I've been pregnant for six years."